William Hazell is a key figure to belatedly emerge from the south Wales coalfield. His lifelong commitment to the co-operative movement was inspired by his vision of co-operation as a means of building a better future. He epitomised the deep and loyal relationship that developed between the people of the valleys and their co-operative societies.

• List of Illustrations
• Acknowledgements
• Map
• Introduction: 
William Hazell’s Gleaming Vision
• Chapter 1:
Starting Out
  • London
  • The valley and the village
  • Family man
  • Getting involved: Hazell’s ‘Cocksure Twenties’
  • The Co-operative Movement in South Wales
  • The Ynysybwl Co-operative Society
  • The Great War
• Chapter 2:
Life Between the Wars – Years of Endurance
  • The Lodge After The War
  • YCS After The War
  • The miners lockout of 1921 and its aftermath
  • Hazell and the CWS
  • Hazell the Writer
  • The General Strike and Miners’ Lockout
  • Family Affairs
  • Into The Dark Years: Relieving Distress
  • Hazell the Councillor
  • Co-operation
  • Home Sweet Home?
  • Immersion
  • YCS
  • Family Affairs
  • Tackling ‘The Establishment’
  • Confronting Fascism
• Chapter 3: 
Wartime
  • Preparing For War
  • War
  • Writing in Wartime
  • Winding Down the War, Building for Peace
• Chapter 4: 
Socialism in Our Time?
  • Post-War Reconstruction
  • Hazell and the Labour Government
  • Council Life
  • Life’s Challenges
  • The Tories Back in Power
  • Retirement from the Pit – More Time for YCS, the Movement and for Writing!
  • On The Committee
  • Life’s Pleasures
  • Post-War Writing: Hazell and History
  • Hazell and Wales
  • Hazell and Writing
  • Hazell, the Rhondda and the Valleys
  • Limits to Utopia
• Chapter 5:
Consumers Arise!
  • Hazell and the State
  • Hazell and Communism
  • 

  • The 1950s National Co-operative Debates
• Chapter 6:
Last Words…
  • Semi-Retirement and Nominal Winding Down
  • Co-operative Party
  • Final Days
  • Casting a Long Shadow
  • YCS after 1964
• Appendix:
The Legacy –
Hazell’s Writings
• Select Bibliography